Planned Parenthood shooting, gun control laws, Syrian refugees, and more

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Editor's note

We have received a steady flow of letters in recent days related to the Planned Parenthood shooting. Most of them are included in the cover-story package. But we pulled one of those letters to run below and set the tone.

To Mayor Suthers

Dear Mr. Suthers: Thank you for all you have done so far in your tenure as mayor to make Colorado Springs a better place, and for your leadership during the terrible events of last Friday.

I assume (and I hope) you are hearing from a lot of citizens about this right now, but I want to add my voice to those imploring you to continue to be a strong leader acting for the betterment of our city as our grief turns into a larger discussion on gun control in Colorado Springs.

I urge you to take the specialized knowledge you gained as head of a committee on gun violence during your time as attorney general, and apply it aggressively in our city, starting with an open-carry ban. I know politicians are often punished for taking a progressive stance toward gun control, but as a concerned and consistent voter, I have your back.

With shooting after shooting, we've seen that timing is crucial to the success of gun-control measures introduced in the wake of a mass killing.

In the name of the victims of the Oct. 31 and Nov. 27 shootings, please don't wait to take action against gun violence in Colorado Springs.

And, of course, if there are things we the public can do to help you succeed in this effort, let us know.

If I had 10,000 Skittles and I knew 10 of them were poison, then I'd have to think: "What kind of gluttonous behavior would compel someone to amass 10,000 Skittles?"

Next I'd have to wonder: "Is this a metaphor for cannibalism? Or are we suggesting that it is appropriate to reduce human beings to tiny candies to make a point?"

Then I'd say: "I wonder what the 9,990 sweet candies would say if the roles were reversed?"

And lastly I'd question this comment: "Perhaps there is a golden rule to help decide the fate of these candies? Perhaps this rule is one so fundamentally obvious that we forget to think on it. Perhaps this rule has something to do with our neighbors? ... Perhaps there is such a rule."

In the meantime, I'd say, the 10,000 little candies will be thrown in the dumpster, hauled off to the landfill and forgotten.

— John Thompson

Colorado Springs

Logic questioned

On Nov. 25, a letter read: "Here's a bowl that contains 10,000 M&Ms. Only 10 contain poison. How many M&Ms will YOU eat? That is the Syrian refugee situation explained!"

However, this analogy is faulty.

First, nothing happens to M&Ms that continue to sit in a bowl. But we're not talking about M&Ms; we're talking about human beings. And they're not in a bowl. They're in a dangerous war zone, or languishing in a refugee camp. Big difference.

I could throw the whole bowl of M&Ms in the garbage, without another thought.

But what of the refugees?

— Lenore Fleck

Colorado Springs

Inspirational

When Marco Rubio said in regards to the spread of ISIS, we need to close "any place where radicals are being inspired," he lit a fire within me:

Fox News? Rush? Michael Savage? Hugh Hewitt? Glenn Beck? Sarah Palin?

Little steps for little feet.

— Steve Schriener

Colorado Springs

Project censured

Tim Redmond's censure of Project Censored (Cover story, Nov. 25) is due to his not having gone down the conspiracy and 9/11 Truth rabbit holes far enough.

Rather than base his rebuke on facts, he reverted to name-calling. Since the facts are not on Tim's side, he has to call conspiracy theories and 9/11 Truth "looney."

Tim sounds a lot like a member of the mainstream media, like a gatekeeper. Thank you, Tim, for informing us as to which censored stories are "credible, valid," and which are not.

Dig deeper, Tim.

— Lotus

Colorado Springs

No bucks for haters

I have just received a letter asking for donations to pro-life. I am returning it with the note, "You are guilty of inciting murder." Definitely, no contribution.

When the pro-life presenter came to our church, I asked him why had I not heard one word about helping the mother to want to have a child. The response was revealing, "That's too hard and besides it doesn't get people worked up." I concluded that the purpose of pro-life had nothing to do with abortion, but was a method to manipulate people so that they could have power. This was like applying a match to dry prairie grass, and the results of sowing the wind meant that they would eventually reap the whirlwind.

May I suggest that a charge of inciting to murder be laid against these people. We do not need the hate that they are sowing.

— Doyle Smith

North Canton, Ohio

Education thoughts

Gary Casimir's letter with regard to "Reform schooled" (News, Nov. 11) and the Dependence Institute, warning parents about who is bankrolling candidates, is a discussion we need to keep in the forefront.

I've been researching "education reform" for many years, talking to teachers and looking at important curriculum being skipped over or entirely left out.

What does an "ultimate" education look like? Shouldn't our education reflect the best of its kind? Isn't it our species', as thinking beings, moral obligation to make it so? Education of this kind will heal the planet and its inhabitants; create well-being, joy and harmony.

Lofty thoughts? Perhaps not. You may say, "How the hell can we do that?"

Education reform begins with government officials who create a consistent mandatory curriculum foundation throughout our nation.

Imagine what a different world this would be if we understood how to optimally maintain our bodies. It would change industries. Understanding how to optimally maintain our bodies would eliminate poisons in the world, our diets would be different, how we live would be in harmony with all life. Isn't this what we want? However, in school and at home, talking about the human body is pretty much taboo.

Changing our focus in education will shake fortunes and will be fought tooth and nail! For once we understand ourselves (supreme and ultimate beings) we will not want what is being shoved down our throats.

Thanks, Gary Casimir. Knowing who benefits from education reform and, maybe more importantly, who does not benefit is a crucial topic we need to carry on.